Local bodies to improve management of Guyana’s protected areas

Iwokrama Forest (which was established by separate legislation), the Kaieteur National Park, Kanashen Amerindian Protected Area, the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area, the Shell Beach Protected Area and urban Parks including the National Park, the Botanical Gardens, the Zoological Park, and the Joe Vieira Park

The Iwokrama Rainforest was created in 1996 under the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development Act.

It was established as a protected area to show how forests can be used for social and economic benefits such as food and medicines, while at the same time being sustainably managed and protected.

Their programmes contribute significantly to conservation education, awareness and research. According to the release, the Iwokrama Rainforest is known by the Indigenous Machushi people as a “Place of Refuge”. It is a gift to Guyana, the Commonwealth and the world, setting a national standard for sustainable forest practices.